Ukrainian newcomers adjusting to life in Saskatchewan

The two things Khrystyna Gogol and her brother Kyrylo Shcherbakov want to see the most this summer are the Great Sand Hills, and a lush Saskatchewan forest.

The 31-year-old Gogol and her 17-year-old brother have been in Saskatchewan for exactly one week, after leaving their home in Odesa, Ukraine, making their way to Warsaw, Poland and then boarding a direct flight to Regina.

They were part of an effort to help 230 displaced Ukrainians find homes in Saskatchewan.

“It (was) not safe to stay in Ukraine. It’s (a) hard situation. We fear. Our parents (are) in Odesa now,” said Gogol. “We (are) happy we are here. They (are) happy too.”

Their sponsors, SMAK Ukrainian store owner Vitaliy Kushnir and his wife, picked up the pair at the University of Regina last week, shortly after they went through customs and received their luggage.

“We (were) not allowed to go to the airport. I don’t know why. That’s what they sent to all family hosts. We pick(ed) up them around 5 o’clock in the middle of night,” said Kushnir.

Neither Gogol nor her brother said they were jetlagged, but they were excited to come to Saskatoon to see their new home.

“(It’s) so nice, so beautiful. We see (the) river and the downtown and central park (and) university buildings. Yeah, I like (Saskatoon),” she said.

The siblings are learning English. Every morning during coffee, they practise speaking English with Kushnir and his family.

Once they become more comfortable, Gogol will begin working at the SMAK Ukrainian store in Saskatoon, while her brother will attend Holy Cross Collegiate as an 11th grader in the fall.

Until then, life for the two is very different from what they’re used to in Odesa.

“Everything is huge here — cars, roads (and) buildings,” laughed Gogol. “In Ukraine, they (are) more compact.”

As they get used to living in Saskatoon, they’ll also spend their time experiencing a “Canadian” summer. Gogol and her brother went to their first barbecue on a local farm just a few days ago.

“We have (had) a community barbecue for newcomers in Saskatoon for Ukrainians,” said Kushnir. “One of our friends, they facilitate(d) a huge amount of people there. Those kids had really nice fun there. (There were) lots of activities there — fireplace, food (and) bouncy castles.”

It’s still quite a culture shock for the siblings, though, and Kushnir understands how they feel. He came to Canada 15 years ago and had to learn English while also getting used to living life differently.

“It’s a totally different culture. (Hosts) sometimes have some conflicts and they’re calling me asking me (if I) can I explain this and that,” he said.

“(Ukrainians) behave differently. They love differently. They show attitude differently. You have to expect that and understand them to help them, because they came here in crisis already and they are extremely sensitive. We have to give them a little bit more space for that.”

One example, Kushnir said, would be that many Canadians are very social. That’s not necessarily the same for Ukrainians.

“They have a conversation for 10 minutes and then they’re gone … It’s culture. We don’t have lots of conversation like Canadians have,” he said. “Six hours straight talking? That’s weird!”

He said many Ukrainians are also very shy.

“That’s why when they come to Canada they’re shocked (since Canadians have a) nice attitude and really open heart. (Ukrainians) are shocked because they think they are going to be punished,” he explained.

“It’s a culture like that — (the) Soviet Union — (that) made it like that,” he explained.

Both Gogol and Shcherbakov will likely stay with Kushnir and his family for several years if not longer. For the short term, though, they’re going to spend the rest of the summer exploring Saskatchewan.

“We are going to family camp,” said Gogol. “I really want to see a forest!”

“We want to go and find (the) Saskatchewan desert … sand dunes. We want to all collectively go there,” said Kushnir.

He’s also expecting to sponsor more Ukrainians, including another family coming to Saskatoon this week.

“That’s my calling. That’s my passion,” he said.